• Molex has built and demonstrated new transceiver modules for data
  center interconnects using MaxLinear PAM4 DSPs

CARLSBAD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of radio frequency (RF),
analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected home,
wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket
applications, today announced Molex, LLC has demonstrated MaxLinear’s
“Telluride” (MxL935xx) pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM4) digital signal
processing (DSP) systems-on-chip (SoCs) for next generation 400G-DR4 and
100G-DR optical modules.

Molex’s 400G-DR4 and 100G-DR modules will be part of a broad offering of
data center connectivity solutions leveraging copper and optics, both
inside and outside the rack. Molex’s knowledge and experience in data
center connectivity drive industry standards, including QSFP-DD, QSFP28,
SFP-DD and 100G Lambda. Molex support for the Open19 Initiative with
the Molex Impel Customized Data Cable solution aims to establish a new
open standard for data center servers by delivering a flexible, scalable
and secure platform.

MaxLinear’s MxL935xx Telluride family of SoCs are key components in the
development of high-speed hyperscale data centers based on 100Gbps
single lambda optical interconnects. The MxL935xx Telluride family of
chips are the world’s first DSP SoCs with integrated electro-absorption
modulated laser (EA-EML) drivers for 100/400Gbps optical interconnects
and breakout mode clocking support for 400Gbps DR4 optical modules. The
MxL935xx allows companies like Molex to develop a 100/400Gbps optical
interconnect module in a compact form factor for intra-data center
applications with a transmission distance up to 2 kilometers.

“With the exponential growth of data traffic within hyperscale cloud
networks, there is massive demand to deploy higher speed networks,
making 100/400Gbps transceiver modules like these essential in
next-generation hyperscale data centers,” said Will Torgerson, Vice
President and General Manager of MaxLinear’s High-Speed Interconnect
Group. “Telluride is the industry’s only solution designed with an
integrated EA-EML driver and break-out mode support to simplify complex
module designs while offering superior link-margin performance in a
low-power consumption SoC.”

Technical Details

The Telluride family features several operating modes, allowing them to
interface with multiple generations of switch ASICs (128x25G NRZ,
256x25G NRZ or 256x50G PAM4). This versatility enables 3.2Tbps, 6.4Tbps
or 12.8Tbps front panel capacity per data center rack unit. These SoCs
are suitable for use within QSFP-DD, OSFP and COBO module form factors.

The integrated laser driver delivers greater than 1.8V of single-ended
driver output swing necessary for EA-EML lasers. This output swing
easily meets the optical modulation amplitude (OMA) specification
requirements across the wide operating temperature and bias ranges of
all EA-EML lasers. The chip package also includes all the high frequency
components required for driver and modulator biasing.

Asynchronous breakout mode clocking is an essential feature for
hyperscale data center customers initiating 400G DR4 deployments.
MaxLinear’s 400G Telluride DSPs (MxL9354x) are currently the only PAM4
DSP SoCs that successfully integrate this clocking requirement.

MaxLinear has engineered a very high-performance DSP engine in both the
transmit and receive data paths. The resulting superior link-margin
enables single-lane 100Gbps optical wavelength technology by mitigating
many of the limitations of mass production optical components.

The devices feature a comprehensive digital pre-distortion (DPD) engine
in the transmit direction to compensate for laser non-linearity and to
cancel packaging limitations that cause reflections and bandwidth
degradation at these extremely high signal frequencies. On the receive
path, the DSP includes an auto-adaptive signal enhancement engine, which
integrates a continuous time linear equalizer (CTLE), automatic gain
control (AGC), a feed forward equalizer (FFE), and a decision feedback
equalizer (DFE).

About Molex

Molex brings together innovation and technology to deliver electronic
solutions to customers worldwide. With a presence in more than 40
countries, Molex offers a full suite of solutions and services for many
markets, including data communications, consumer electronics,
industrial, automotive, commercial vehicle and medical. For more
information, please visit www.molex.com.

About MaxLinear, Inc.

MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE: MXL), is a leading provider of radio frequency
(RF), analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected
home, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket
applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For
more information, please visit www.maxlinear.com.

MxL and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of MaxLinear, Inc. Other
trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the
meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include,
among others, statements concerning or implying future financial
performance, anticipated product performance and functionality, or
trends and growth opportunities affecting MaxLinear, in particular
statements relating to MaxLinear’s Telluride family of products,
including but not limited to potential market opportunities,
functionality, and the benefits of use of such products, alone and in
connection with Molex’s products. These forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that
may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results
expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot
predict whether or to what extent the availability of our Telluride
products will affect our future revenues or financial performance.
Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current,
preliminary expectations and are subject to various risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements may contain words such as “will be,” “will,” “expected,”
“anticipate,” “continue,” or similar expressions and include the
assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among
others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in the forward-looking statements: intense competition in our
industry and product markets; risks relating to the development,
testing, and commercial introduction of new products and product
functionalities; the ability of our customers to cancel or reduce
orders; uncertainties concerning how end user markets for our products
will develop; our lack of long-term supply contracts and dependence on
limited sources of supply; potential decreases in average selling prices
for our products; and the potential for intellectual property
litigation, which is prevalent in our industry. In addition to these
risks and uncertainties, investors should review the risks and
uncertainties contained in MaxLinear’s filings with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission, including risks and uncertainties
identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2018. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety
by this cautionary statement. MaxLinear is providing this information as
of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to
update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a
result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contacts

MaxLinear, Inc. Press Contact:
Debbie Brandenburg
Sr.
Marketing Communications Manager
Tel: +1 669-265-6083
[email protected]

MaxLinear, Inc. Corporate Contact:
Will Torgerson
Vice
President & General Manager of the High-Speed Interconnect Group
Tel:
+1 760-692-0711
[email protected]